Caught between war and treacherous migration

JALALABAD (SW) – The simple uttering of word ‘trafficking’ would make him shiver with haunting memories of the treacherous path he once followed with unknown people for an unknown destination.

As be began to speak, he turned pale and unable to gather words to explain the misery he went through.

Sahel is the resident of Nangarhar – who embarked on an irregular migration trip four years ago in search for safer and pleasant life. He wished to reach France, but he could not become a resident of it.

Narrating a tale from one deadly evening, Sahel said he and his fellow travelers came under fire from border guards on the Iran – Turkey border and were eventually caught only to be deported. The highhandedness of the Iranian authorities and the false promises by human traffickers keep haunting Sahel.

Sahel said the inmates in Iran were also regularly drugged by the prison guards. He was deported to Afghanistan after a month of torture in prison in Iran.

Though, he now lives in his home country, but the troubles he faced during this journey never leave him at peace.

Having experienced the pain of illegal immigration, he urges everyone not to travel illegally.

Mohammed Hades Pardes, the head of communications at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), told Salam Watandar that about 85,000 people have returned from Iran and Pakistan alone since the beginning of this year until March 8. The IOM has provided assistance to immigrants who come to the country voluntarily, he said.

Sayed Abdul Basim Ansari, the spokesman for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, said that the number of returning migrants has increased in recent days. He said the ministry is distributing land to returning migrants and the process of land distribution has begun in Herat and Kabul provinces and will soon be implemented in other provinces as well.

According to the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, lack of awareness, lack of job opportunities, the raging war and political instability are main factors behind persistent cases of irregular migration.